Seattle Bon Vivant

Cupcake Treat: New York Cupcakes

We live in a downtown high rise full of dogs and cats, singles and couples but only a handful of kids, mostly the kind that come over to visit their dads for the weekend and leave by Sunday night.

As far as I remember there has only been one knock on our door October 31st in all the years we've lived here. Tonight there was such a knock.

Trick or treat! It's my neighbors K and P with a box that they hand out to me the second I open the door. The box had a message written on with a Sharpie: Happy Halloween. Just a "little" treat. It's not flan, but it is sweet.

The box was opened immediately. Inside there were six mini cupcakes, all seemed to be different flavors, different toppings and decorations. I grabbed the one that looked a little orange, the color of sherbet and stuck my left index finger on the frosting, to try.

The trying never stopped. By the time my friends said goodnight I had gobbled up the first cupcake. The butter-cream frosting was sweet but not overly so, pale orange in hue and definitely orange sherbet flavored and the cake--vanilla-- was dense and moist. Delightful.

The banana cupcake (banana flavored frosting with banana chip topper and vanilla cake) was also delicious  and there is a coffee one with my name on it.

When I looked at the label on the box (pink and black with a cute frosted cupcake) it read New York Cupcakes 175 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, Washington. 425. 283 5445 Headquarters: 425.454.NYCC

Someone is taking a drive to the Eastside tomorrow...

Ready, set, eat: 25 for $25 is back!

Mark you calendars and get those wallets ready: next Tuesday Dine Around Seattle (25 for $25) returns to delight our palates and tummies.

This time around Campagne, Eva and Fish Club are joining the roster of participating restaurants. We'll be able to have our pick of the litter lunching for $12.50 and dining for $25, both prix-fixe three course menus.

The complete list of restaurants and menus is already available for peeking and planning. Happy eating!

At the new Barnes & Noble in Westwood Village

It opened two days ago and it looks pretty good from the outside, with plenty of parking and enough books to keep me busy when in the area, with time to kill.

The food and wine magazine section, however, is tiny and hard to find and in serious need of tuning-up to local standards. Other than Donna Hay and Delicious the pickings are mostly US based, basic and slim at best with no French, Italian, Spanish or German magazines available.

The café is larger than my neighborhood's Pacific Place location. The pastries are corporate (Sweet Street) and the cheesecake comes from Cheesecake Factory. And even though the coffee is from Starbucks at least the teas are not Tazo but Harney & Sons (the decaf Vanilla Comoro is lovely). There are a few sandwich (at least 4) options and a daily soup to consider if you find yourself hungry and with little time.

Personally, with Eats across the street "eating" here would not be my first choice, but in a pinch (on Mondays or after 3pm when they are closed) it might do.

Barnes & Noble Bookseller
2600 SW Barton Street
Seattle, WA 98126

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye...

Traffic was tricky and slow as molasses but we made it to Columbia City around 6pm. The air was cool and there was still light out so we took advantage of the time left  to shop the market one last time.

We took home baby bok choi, organic green tomatoes, heirlooms, this time around, from Alvarez Farms for more jam (the first batch was a hit), a pie pumpkin for dinner tomorrow, Russian Heirloom tomatoes and Asian pears (from Rockrigde) and Fuji apples--crisp, sweet and juicy as can be, picked this morning.

Tonight, however, three of our favorite things at the market also happened to be the most cute and rare: gorgeous organic Romanesco broccoli, sweet, green, fuzzless and surprisingly delicious Baby Kiwis from Greenwater Farms in Port Townsend.

We could not resist these teeny tiny--about the size of a grape--sunbursted babies. I'm thinking of resiting the urge to eat them out of hand (you eat the whole thing, skin and all) and instead make a bit of jam out of them.

There were also stunning Boletus edulis, the King Bolete, Porcini (Italy), Steinpilz (Germany), or Cep (in France) from the great people at the Foraged & Found Edibles stand. We'll be picking some of these beauties next Saturday at the U-District Market (the baby kiwis will be there too).

After shopping at the market we walked up the street to Tutta Bella for dinner. The place was packed and  looking better than ever. The mood was festive (there was even a private party in the back room) and we polished our delicious pizzas, wine, cappuccinos, macchiatos and tiramisu while the lovely Jerin Falkner sang and played her guitar downstairs.

All in all, even with the scintilla of sadness in the air--parting is such sweet sorrow--we had a decidedly wonderful time on this last day at Columbia City Farmers Market.

Now, how many months is it until May again?
 

One last hurrah at Columbia City Farmers Market

We are back in the city after a couple delicious days in Vancouver BC, just in time for one last visit to the Columbia City Farmers Market

Yep, I know, the season has really flown by but tomorrow will be the last Wednesday (at least until next May) to visit and shop this wonderful market.

So, get your shopping baskets ready and stop between 3 and 7 tomorrow afternoon to load them up. Shop for produce, fish, shellfish, cheese, free range chicken, pastured-raised organic meats, jam, cider and bread.

Visit the newly opened Columbia City Bakery, have dinner at Tutta Bella or *La Medusa (*made with the freshest of ingredients from local farmers) or go home and make supper with your beautiful and yummy finds and toast to another fabulous season at this Seattle neighborhood market. And see you next year!

What's Fresh at the Market

Lunch at Vancouver Art Gallery Café

We love this place. Self-serve, great salads, sandwiches, soups and
desserts and a great all-around value in a gorgeous, modern space. If you come to Vancouver do not miss the wonderful Picasso exhibit currently on display at the Gallery.

Wakey wakey, time for cakey!

Can you tell where we are? Plenty of clues on this table.

Two for the road...

"The spinning top, made a sound, like a train across the valley, fading, oh so quiet, but constant 'til it passed, over the ridge, into the distances, written on your ticket, to remind you where to stop and when to get off..."

Guess where we are headed to?

The End of the Affair

There is only one intermission and I needed a little something to get me going so the clam chowder it is. If you loved the book or saw the 1955 or 1999 Ralph Fiennes/Moore version you would love the opera. Bells tolling! Must dash!

Dinner & Movie: Seattle's Central Cinema

We've been going to Central Cinema for months now and the more we go the more we like it. So far we have attended screenings of the original Willy Wonka, Auntie Mame and Mostly Martha among many other films and because Central Cinema is "Seattle's only movie-dinner-theater" when we go, we make it a point to nosh there.

This is a place for film and food lovers alike. Here you can see a $5 show accompanied by a sandwich, salad or a stone oven pizza (Quattro Formaggi and Firenza are my favorites), a bowl of steaming, salted edamame or popcorn (with choice of toppings), some of the best coffee in Seattle (Victrola), a nice micro-brew, Victrola tea, wine, a Cherry Italian Soda or an Orange Fizz.

The space is lovely (comfy diner-style booths and lovely exposed brick walls) and the films run the gamut from documentary, independent and cult films to musicals, classics, horror, foreign and child friendly flicks.

In here the mood is festive and fun and its always busy with locals in search of cinematic relief from the big box, blockbuster multiplexes while doing a little grazing above and beyond the usual, overpriced candy, pop and popcorn.

The menu offers something for everyone. The food can be good (pizza), sometimes even great (rhubarb pie). Tonight The Black Cat was playing, preceded by a funky pseudo-scientific documentary short and the hilarious music of the The Tiger Lillies playing prior to the show.

This evening the three of us laughed out loud at the silliness and dramatic excesses of Karloff and Lugosi while enjoying our popcorn, edamame, roasted corn soup, chocolate cake and apple pie.

This time around the soup was less than stellar and the chocolate cake was dry--we left most of it-- but we had so much fun!

The fact that one can come in here at the end of the day, enjoy an inexpensive show and grab a bite while watching the movie is a definite plus. Not to mention that the theater is owned by a lovely couple (plus über cute kid) with a passion for movies and warm hospitality.

They even rent the space for private events and run mini-film festivals from time to time. And because this is a business with a social conscience, next week they'll be hosting Tasveer's Pakistan Earthquake Relief Benefit.

I'm looking forward to the screening of Khamosh Pani. Perhaps this time around I'll try the popcorn with a little curry.

Central Cinema on Flickr

Central Cinema
1411 21st Avenue
(21st & E. Union)
Seattle, WA
(206) 686-MOVIE

Wed–Fri 6–11 p.m.
Sat–Sun 12–11 p.m.
Closed Mon-Tues.
Late showings 21 and older.